No family is conflict-free. But when one parent is addicted to alcohol, the amount of arguing that goes on in the home is higher than normal. That kind of home environment hurts everyone, including the children. The good news, according to a new study, is that if dad will take steps to deal with his […]
When Dad Works to Overcome Alcoholism, Children See Real Benefit Read More »
Addiction specialists and researchers know that alcoholism does not manifest in the same way in all affected individuals. In the 1990s, a researcher named Thomas F. Babor proposed a classification system that divides alcoholics into two main groups, known as Type A alcoholics and Type B alcoholics, based on several underlying criteria. In a study
Are There Really Type A and Type B Alcoholics? Read More »
Doctors and public health officials know that alcohol affects women and men in different ways. Specifically, women who drink have higher risks for certain serious health problems than their male counterparts; in addition, women who drink have unique health concerns not found in men. In a study review published in March 2014 in the Journal
Heavy Drinking More Deadly for Women Read More »
Previous studies of twin siblings and families point to a strong genetic role in the development of an alcohol abuse problem. The trouble is finding out which among the 24,000 human genes are most responsible for the vulnerability.
Are Specific Genes Responsible for Alcoholism? Read More »
Energy drinks are a modern class of beverage that contain some sort of nonprescription stimulant, including substances such as caffeine, guarana or yohimbe. College students and other young adults consume these beverages with some regularity. In a study published in March 2014 in the journal Substance Abuse, researchers from six U.S. universities analyzed the potential
Energy Drinks Linked to Prescription Stimulant Abuse Read More »
As every parent knows, children tend to pick up more of what they observe than what they are told, and parents don’t get to choose which habits children will imitate. A new study reveals that parents who abuse substances are more likely to have children who do the same. The study from Sam Houston State
Children Imitate Parental Drug and Alcohol Behaviors Read More »
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is the collective name for two distinct conditions—Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome—that seriously damage the brain and trigger a range of short- and long-term health complications. People affected by ongoing alcoholism are known to have an unusual susceptibility to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. In a study published in March 2014 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical
Alcohol-Altered Genes Blamed for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome Read More »
For most married couples communication is a constant work in progress. Add alcoholism to the mix and this delicate dance becomes much more complicated. You may be nervous or simply not know how to talk to your alcoholic spouse about their drinking. It will take work and forethought, but it is possible to have an
How to Talk to an Alcoholic Spouse or Partner Read More »
Alcoholism produces a range of possible harms in the brains and bodies of affected individuals. One of these potential harms is the onset of a condition called pellagra, which occurs as a result of a deficiency of a B vitamin called niacin (B3). The presence of pellagra can cause changes in several important body systems,
Niacin Deficiency in Alcoholics Can Cause Dementia Read More »
Cholesterol and triglycerides are two forms of blood-borne fat that appear in the human circulatory system. People with too much LDL (“bad”) cholesterol or triglycerides in their bloodstreams can develop substantially increased risks for serious forms of heart disease. In a study published in December 2013 in the journal Alcohol, a team of Japanese researchers
Is Alcohol to Blame for High Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels? Read More »